Promises are Meant to be Kept
by Hawkpool
Summary: Tigerblaze makes a promise to Amberpaw to be there for her warrior ceremony. Unforeseen circumstances threaten to stand in the way, however.


**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Warriors. Erin Hunter has that wonderful privilege. **

**A/N: **After several years of ignoring my previous work, I decided to go back and reread it. Some of the mistakes I made had me cringing. ('^-^)

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><p>"Tigerblaze!" Amberpaw shouted, catching a certain orange warrior's attention.<p>

Said tom looked up from his sparrow to see the sweet tabby she-cat padding towards him. He immediately brightened up at the sight of her. Her pelt simply glowed in the sunlight, and her eyes sparkled like-

Wait? Was he mooning?

Tigerblaze shook his head to clear it before focusing back on the older apprentice. "Yes, Amberpaw?"

"You won't be calling me that for much longer!" she meowed with unconcealed excitement.

"Oh? Why's that?" asked the tom, amused.

"Ashstar's giving me my Warrior name today at Sun Down!" Amberpaw nearly jumped with joy.

Tigerblaze purred and licked the top of her head. She batted him away playfully. His purring increased and almost batted her back until he heard Willowheart and Runningshadow calling his name. Annoyed, he turned to them and hissed, "What?"

"Nestpelt ordered for you to come on mid-day border patrol with us," Runningshadow meowed, giving him a hard stare.

Tigerblaze shot a glance at Amberpaw. Her expression was one of complete disappointment. The elder tabby placed his tail on her shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll be back in time for your ceremony."

Amberpaw looked up, hope gleaming in her cerulean eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise."

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><p>The patrol was taking longer than Tigerblaze hoped it would. Seaclan warriors were found trying to snatch some of their territory and had to be <em>properly<em> dealt with (despite Tigerblaze's wishes to rough them up _just_ a bit). Then, they had to help a traumatized Goosepaw out of a tree he darted up when he heard a dog somewhere in the distance. After that, they (finally) marked the border.

As they started to make their way back, a hunting patrol asked them to join since there was only two of them. By the time they were done, the sun was slowly beginning to sink behind the trees.

Tigerblaze quickly grabbed the two mice he caught and ran towards camp. He ignored the alarmed yowls of protest from his clanmates, his thoughts straying to the eager soon-to-be-warrior waiting for him.

He was too far. He'd never make it in time... it was already Sun Down...

Tigerblaze put on a burst of speed. He wouldn't miss it. He _promised _he wouldn't. He couldn't break a promise to her. Amberpaw would be devastated.

Tigerblaze could just make out the cats in the clearing. He leaped down the small hill, momentarily forgetting about the mud at the bottom from the brief rain that morning. He slipped, skidding across the wet dirt. It clung to his fur like a second coat. The previously orange tabby attempted to regain his footing, however it was in vain. His paws flew from underneath his, his front right catching on a tree root. In an effort to dislodge it, he pulled sharply and the awkward angle resulted in a sickening _pop! _

Tigerblaze let out a short yowl of pain, licking it, before continuing on. He turned to grab the mice, but in their mud-covered state no one would want to eat them.

So that's how Tigerblaze, limping and covered in mud, pushed through the barrier of camp. He parted his way to the front on the gathering (which wasn't hard, no one wanted to touch _him_), and sat down. Just in time, too.

"Amberpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Amberhawk. May Starclan honor your quick-thinking and kindness. You are now a full Warrior of Lightclan."

Ashstar bent over the newly named Amberhawk and touched his nose onto the she-cat's head. In return, Amberhawk respectfully licked Ashstar's shoulder.

"Amberhawk!" Tigerblaze yowled first, followed by the rest of Lightclan. Amberhawk turned to look at him, happiness and love shining in her crystal blue eyes. She padded over to him, ignoring his mud-covered pelt. She pressed herself into his fur and Tigerblaze rested his head on hers. The perfect moment...

…... only to be ruined by snickering coming from Hawkpool and Dawnheart.

"HAHAHA! Tigerblaze!? What did you do, take a mud bath before you came?" Dawnheart laughed.

"HAHAHA! Mud pelt!" Hawkpool laughed back.

Tigerblaze's ears felt warm with embarrassment.

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><p><strong>AN: **I hope the edit made it better! Sorry for those mistakes... I'm fairly certain I caught them this time!

~Hawk


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